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'Tammy' Reviews: Melissa McCarthy's Latest Movie 'Is Just Not Funny'

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melissa mccarthy tammy

Melissa McCarthy's next movie "Tammy" hits theaters this week.

The movie stars the comedian as a down-on-her-luck, broke young woman who decides to go on a road trip with her grandma after getting fired from her fast-food job and catching her husband with another woman.

After box-office hits like "The Heat" and "Identity Thief," trailers for "Tammy" would make audiences believe McCarthy is aiming for another high comedy note at theaters; however, there's just one problem.

Critics say the film isn't actually funny. 

Instead, "Tammy" is more of a drama about a broken woman disguised as a comedy in clever ads. 

The film, currently sitting at 21% on Rotten Tomatoes, is expected to open to around $25 million this weekend, which would be less than the debut of McCarthy's breakout role in 2011's "Bridesmaids" ($26.2 million).

Film.com:

“'Tammy' is far more serious than the gangsta-rap dancin’, jet skiing ads let on ... If it weren’t for the twinkle in Sarandon’s eye or McCarthy’s uncanny ability to squeeze a laugh from a throwaway remark you’d likely drop dead of boredom right there in the theater."

The Hollywood Reporter

"What’s been funny for her [McCarthy] before no longer is. Nor is it amusing when she explodes upon returning home to find her husband (Nat Faxon) having dinner with another woman (Toni Collette), nor when she erupts at her mother for not giving her a car and then drives off with her grandmother, Pearl (Susan Sarandon) ... the film progresses from merely unfunny to unconvincing to dull."

NJ.com:

"The real problem with the movie is simple — it's just not funny enough, and too worried about making McCarthy's usual hilarious supporting character into a woman sympathetic enough (that is, bland enough) to be the heroine."

Variety:

"Falcone’s attempts to spin this generally flat, formulaic comedy into an affecting character drama are frustrated by filmmaking choices that work against a sense of persuasive reality."

The Wrap:

"I certainly wanted to like Tammy, and 'Tammy,' since I've been a fan of McCarthy going all the way back to her work on 'Gilmore Girls,' and at Los Angeles’ Groundlings improv theater prior to her dynamic, Oscar-nominated turn in “Bridesmaids.” But she and her husband Falcone (who also directed) have created a character comedy that's missing both comedy and character."

Film School Rejects:

"Tammy is not a great comedy. It’s not even a good one really, and if I had to toss an adjective its way to describe the quality of comedy on display I’d go with 'okay.'"

The New York Times calls it McCarthy's "least funny comedy":

"The jokes about Tammy’s eating habits, her appetite for burgers, pies and doughnuts, aren’t especially funny and, after a while, register as both tedious and borderline desperate."

 The Washington Post actually gave the film zero stars:

"Most of 'Tammy' consists of the two women getting entangled in some kind of un-funny, ill-advised encounter, which ends with a string of expletives and one or both of them knocking something over, whether it’s a suntan lotion display on a personal watercraft vendor’s counter or the salt and pepper shakers on the table of two men who spurn Tammy’s boorish flirtations."

SEE ALSO: The first trailer for "Horrible Bosses 2"

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Why Hollywood Is Inserting These Two Huge Chinese Actresses Into Its Summer Blockbusters

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transformers li bingbing

If you headed out to see "Transformers: Age of Extinction" over the weekend, you may have noticed the above actress, Li Bingbing, in a supporting role.

While most are probably not very familiar with the foreign actress, in a few years you will be.

She's one of two huge Chinese actresses who has been popping up in small cameos of some of Hollywood's biggest summer blockbusters.

Both she and Fan Bingbing are making appearances to appeal to viewers overseas in the second largest box-office market: China.

(In case you're wondering, no, they're not related. The two actresses actually share the same first name. It's customary to write the surname, first.)

Here's where you've probably seen the two.

Most recently, Li played an owner of a Chinese Factory, Su Yueming, in "Age of Extinction."li bingbing transformers

Fan Bingbing played a mutant Blink with the ability to transport herself, others, and objects in "X-Men: Days of Future Past."fan bingbing xmen

She was also in a few scenes added specifically into "Iron Man 3" for China audiences.fan bingbing iron man 3

Their appearances in these films have helped these films soar at the box office overseas.

When "Transformers: Age of Extinction" opened in theaters, it didn't just have a big opening stateside making $100 million, it also had the largest debut ever in China with $90 million.

"Iron Man 3" debuted to $64.5 million in the country.

It shows the enormous potential in China for distributors.

We've previously discussed how Hollywood is starting to cater to China by inserting Chinese actors and actresses into its films, adding alternate and additional scenes, and making films overseas.

That's because by 2018, China is expected to surpass the U.S. as the primary box-office moneymaker, according to IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond.

In the past decade, China's box office has seen more than 30% growth. The Los Angeles Times reported the country's box office grew more than 22% so far this year thanks to both "Transformers" and "X-Men: Days of Future Past." 

In 2013 alone, the box office totaled $3.6 billion in China. The U.S. box office had a record-breaking $10 billion year in 2013.

Expect not only to see more films made in China, but also a lot more of these two in the future.

SEE ALSO: This was the hardest Transformer for the movie's visual effects team to make

AND: $90 million Chinese opening for "Transformers" is a watershed moment for Hollywood

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Here's How 'Louie' Lands Such Amazing Guest Stars

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Louie CK Jerry Seinfeld

FX's "Louie" starring comedian Louis C.K.  frequently has A-list celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld, Jeremy Renner, Ricky Gervais, and tons of comedians guest-starring in bit and larger roles on the show.

Often it's as easy as Louis calling up his friends from the Comedy Cellar to come down to set, "Louie" casting director Gayle Keller tells Business Insider.

"I don’t think I’ve ever auditioned any of his comedian friends," says Keller. "He will just say, 'Hey Gayle, I want Todd Barry on the show,' or 'This role is going to be played by Todd Berry,' or 'Robert Kelly is going to play my brother,' or 'Sarah Silverman is going to be on the show.'"

Louie Louis CK Sarah Silverman poker
"His knowledge of the comedians is even more vast than mine," says Keller. "If I bring up a comedian to him, he might say 'Oh he’s not right for this' or 'He’s right,' so I’ll come up with my own ideas, but he has such a knowledge of the comedians, differently than I do since many of them are his close friends, that he’ll just offer them the roles."

Keller says that Louis — who serves as writer, director, editor, and star of the show  will both write roles with certain comedian friends in mind and other times fill roles with comedians who he thinks would be a good fit.

"Like Doug Stanhope, who was in season three, he’s a stand-up, and Louis wrote a particular role for Doug," says Keller. "But then there'll be other times where he’ll say 'I want a comedian in this role' and ask me for ideas."

This season Oscar-nominated "Hurt Locker" actor Jeremy Renner appeared in two episodes playing a drug dealer who sells to a young Louie during flashback scenes. 

jeremy renner louie Louis CKKeller says Renner was an easy get.

"Both Louis and Jeremy were in 'American Hustle' and when Louis wrote this piece, he was like, 'Jeremy Renner would be so amazing in this role,' so we reached out to his manager, got him the script, and he said he would do it."

When Jerry Seinfeld appeared on season 4 as a jerkier version of himself, Keller says it was because the two "are good friends."jerry seinfeld louie Louis CK

Oscar-winning 81-year-old actress Ellen Burstyn  who played Louie's older Hungarian neighbor, Evanka  wasn't as easy of a casting.

Ellen Burstyn Louis CK Louie"Ellen Burnstyn was interesting," Keller reveals. "That part was written in a very different way. They wanted an older woman who was Hungarian and we auditioned a lot of wonderful actors in New York, but Louis wasn’t sure if he had found her yet. So I suggested we think of well known actors we could just offer the role to, and I mentioned Ellen Burstyn [who Keller cast in 2000's "Requiem for a Dream"] and her agent said it was something she could be interested in."

"I told Louis we should just offer her the part and it changed a little bit about what he envisioned for the role, but he was always a huge fan of hers and she was fantastic so he said, 'Let’s do it. Let’s go for it.' And she said yes."

But perfecting a Hungarian accent wasn't always easy for Burstyn.

"We kind of made it work for her with the Hungarian and she helped us make that character because it’s a little bit different from the way it was originally written," explains Keller. "It’s a woman who is a little more old world in a way. Ellen brought so much life to it and she’s so vivacious and so beautiful that she elevated that character and in a different way."

As for whether any of this season's guest stars will be back next season, Keller says, "Who knows? I haven’t seen any scripts for next season."

But Keller is always keeping up with Louis, scouting comedians at local New York City clubs.

"I love comedy clubs, I love going to sketch, I love going to UCB, and the Pit," Keller says of where she finds new talent. "I try to see as many people as possible, I'm aware of all the 'SNL' people, and I try to get to know as many comics as possible because that’s the show. But anyone I bring up, he already knows who they are."

SEE ALSO: ‘Silicon Valley’ Had To Make An Insane Number Of Burger King Runs To Shoot This Brilliant Scene

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Jerry Seinfeld Proves He Knows How To Make A Good Ad With These Witty Acura Commercials

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Jerry Seinfeld Acura spots

It's official. Jerry Seinfeld knows how to make good ads. 

The comedian has written eight new Acura commercials with the help of Boston agency Mullen and director Barry Sonnenfeld. They're set to air during season four of Seinfeld's web series "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee," which kicked off June 19. 

Seinfeld is no stranger to writing scripts for car commercials. He penned these intentionally corny, retro Acura MDX and RLX ads last year for the show's sole sponsor. He told the New York Times he wanted the ads to capture the essence of a 1960's car commercial, while also making fun of some of the more over-the-top spots. 

The latest spots aren't quite as absurd as the last. There are no massive bowls of egg salad wiping out an entire family or game-show style presentations of a car's automatic windows. Instead, Seinfeld created his ideal car salesman, who is refreshingly blunt and spews out facts a mile a minute.

Seinfeld spoke with Adweek about the campaign and the ads' new spokesperson:  

"He's a car salesman life coach. He's the guy who is the antidote to the usual car commercial, which is all about what this is going to do for your lifestyle, how this car is going to change your social standing, and I thought it worked for Acura and for my personal perspective. To me, what you want when you buy a car is a great car, and it's not about what the neighbors think, or how you'll look at yourself because you have it..."

The face of the new ads dishes out tons of great life advice including, "You give out a fake number, make sure it's a working number. At least somebody answers," "You want a stunning supermodel? Car's not gonna do it. Try being yourself," and "Don't knock on hotel room doors with keys and repeatedly yell, housekeeping." All valid advice. He can even recite important facts in Spanish, as seen in the ad below.  

The point of the ads, according to Seinfeld, is to show that a car can't change your life and it won't give you everything you want, even if it's an Acura. You should buy a car because you like, not because you want to impress other people.

The ads all point to that fact that the car comes in seven colors because as Seinfeld says, "We're saying, you don't have to worry about the car; the car is great. Just figure out what color you like." 

You can find all of Seinfeld's Acura spots here

SEE ALSO: Jon Stewart and Sarah Jessica Parker Ride With Seinfeld In Season 4 Trailer Of 'Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee'

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Robin Thicke Took Questions On Twitter — And It Went Hilariously Wrong

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Robin Thicke BET Awards 2013

Like any other time a celebrity takes questions from random strangers, Robin Thicke's ask-me-anything on Twitter didn't disappoint with delivering the weirdness.

The singer's "Blurred Lines" was one of the songs of the summer after it climbed the charts once it was released at the end of last March. 

However, the song generated a lot of controversy in the months after its release with lines like "You know you want it," as many people interpreted the song as condoning rape stereotypes.

Fast-forward to now, and VH1 is promoting an ask me anything interview with Thicke where fans can submit their questions through Twitter to the star.

And of course, the internet didn't disappoint. Here are some of the most hilarious and odd questions asked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally, my own submission:

 

SEE ALSO: The Internet Has Some Great Ideas For Other Things Tim Howard Could Save

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George R.R. Martin’s 2001 Loss To J.K. Rowling Is Still A Sore Subject

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george r.r. martin

Thirteen years after George R.R. Martin's "A Storm of Swords" lost to J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" for Best Novel in the 2001 Hugo Awards, Martin's fans and perhaps Martin himself are still bitter.

An old quote from Martin regarding the loss that appeared on a fan site recently went crazy on Reddit:

"Eat your heart out, Rowling," Martin wrote. "Maybe you have billions of dollars and my Hugo, but you don't have readers like these."

In 2012, Martin, author of the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series (adapted for HBO as "Game of Thrones"), elaborated on his feelings. "I wish I have beaten her, what can I say! I would have liked to win that award and I don't think Rowling cares much about it," Martin told the blog Adria's News. "And she didn't send anyone to accept the award, which is certainly annoying."

Posted by Reddit user gorgagon, the comment spurred a fierce debate generating more than 1,800 comments. Some called Martin's attitude presumptuous.

Screen Shot 2014 07 01 at 1.36.37 PMScreen Shot 2014 07 01 at 1.45.59 PM

But many stood up for him, like Reddit user greym84:

He's not being petty here. Rowling has outright disowned the fantasy genre, pretending her obvious fantasy series wasn't really fantasy, as if she's some kind of transcendental author too good for a Hugo award, which she never bothered to accept. ... So GRRM as a die hard SFF [science fiction and fantasy] writer, for decades on end, loses a SFF-specific award to a person who has spurned the genre and doesn't even care about the reward. ... So he takes a jab at Rowling, but the main point is to acknowledge that he doesn't write for awards, but for his fans. As for Rowling, I love Harry Potter and I think she's overall a decent person. I just think she was grossly out of line on this issue and GRRM, as a major voice in SFF, was well within his rights to acknowledge his readers at her expense.

For her part, Rowling may not care or even be aware of Martin's criticisms, since she has said in the past that she doesn't read fantasy or science fiction

Interestingly, Martin doesn't even list his 2001 Hugo nomination for Best Novel on his website, although he lists his 2006 and 2012 Hugo Best Novel nominations for the next two books in his series (which he lost to different authors). Perhaps his loss to Rowling was more upsetting than his loss to subsequent authors, as his comments would suggest. And maybe Martin had high expectations in 2001 because he had already won Hugo awards in 1979 and 1997 for Best Novelette, Short Story, and Novella — and since by most accounts "A Storm Of Swords" is the best book of his epic series.

Screen Shot 2014 07 01 at 1.26.31 PMSeparate from his comments about the Hugo award, Martin has indicated that he is not particularly fond of "Harry Potter." In 2008, he rejoiced that President Obama collects Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics. "That's so cool that I'm willing to forgive him for being a Harry Potter fan," wrote Martin in his LiveJournal

His grudge may have led him to poke fun at "Harry Potter" within the pages of the next book in his series, "A Feast for Crows," The Wire reported. In a passage of that book, Martin described a fight between the female knight Brienne of Tarth and two male knights. "She had ridden over Harry Sawyer and broken Robin Potter's helm, giving him a nasty scar," Martin wrote.  

Aside from the obvious reference to Harry Potter by combining those names, Martin took care to mention one of the knights received a scar on his head after she broke his helmet. That brings to mind the forehead scar that distinguishes Rowling's Harry Potter.

But Martin has also made it clear that he respects Rowling for her valuable contributions to the fantasy genre. "[S]he has done great stuff for fantasy and many of my readers are people who started with Harry Potter; they've grown up and she got them to reading, she got them to fantasy," he told Adria's News. "J.K. Rowling has grown up an entire generation of children into the field and for that I applaud her." 

24 million copies of "A Song of Ice and Fire" books had been sold in North America by Random's Bantam Books as of September 2o13, including print, digital, and audio formats, Reuters reported.

As popular as the series is, however, its sales are dwarfed by the "Harry Potter" books, which had sold 450 million copies by mid-2011, publishers Bloomsbury in Britain and Scholastic in the United States told the BBC.

SEE ALSO: 'Game Of Thrones' Author George R.R. Martin Explains How A 'Spontaneous Vision' Led To The Series

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'Fast And Furious 7' Changes Its Release Date

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fast and furious 7 set

"Fast and Furious 7" will be coming to theaters one week earlier.

Universal Pictures announced the next installment of the franchise will move up to an April 3 release.

Production on the seventh film was pushed back nearly a year following the death of Paul Walker last November.

Walker's brothers Caleb and Cody are filling in for the actor to complete the movie which will retire his character, Brian O'Connor.

Vin Diesel originally broke the news of the film's move to April 2015 back in December.

Diesel, Tyrese, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, and Ludacris will all reprise their roles in the sequel. Jason Statham and Kurt Russell will join the cast.

SEE ALSO: Vin Diesel says it has been 'awkward and uncomfortable' adjusting to Paul Walker's visual effects in FF7

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Here's When 3D Movies Work, When They Don't, And What The Future Holds

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tom cruise edge of tomorrow

Is 3D movie technology a money-making gimmick or a true innovation? The answer is a little of both. Some movies use the technology to create more wonderfully immersive scenes, but others do little with the technology or even make a movie worse.

Given the hit-or-miss nature of 3D and the steep cost of a ticket (adding $4 to an already expensive $14.50 New York City movie), I've learned to look up 3D evaluations like the ones put out by Cinema Blend. Just recently, Cinema Blend's Kristy Puchko warned me in time that the 3D version of the otherwise excellent "X-Men: Days of Future Past" is a dizzying waste of money.

For further insight into when 3D is effective and where the technology is going, I emailed Sean O'Connell, Movie Content Director for Cinema Blend. My questions and his responses are below:

What are some of the best examples of 3D in movies and what makes them so good?

Recently, Doug Liman's "Edge of Tomorrow" boasted the best 3D. Camera positioning in the action sequences and a real focus on "before the window" imagery (meaning stuff that comes off of the screen and into the theater) helped put the audience into the movie. And that, to me, is the point of 3D. It should be used as a tool of immersion, a visual device that helps you feel like you are part of the story. When we watched Alfonso Cuaron's "Gravity" (another amazing example), we felt like we were in outer space. That's why James Cameron's "Avatar" still stands as the finest example of what 3D can do. Audiences felt like they visited Pandora with each screening, because his use of 3D placed us INSIDE the movie. 

Outside of that, 3D tends to work best in the field of animation, which is why the 3D in "How to Train Your Dragon 2" and "The LEGO Movie" amazed.

lego movie characters What are some of the worst examples of 3D in movies and what makes them so bad?

3D, as a tool, is improving, so you have to go back a few years to pull examples of truly offensive 3D. After "Avatar," studios raced to make everything 3D, just so they could charge extra for a ticket price. Post-converted 3D damaged movies like "Wrath of the Titans," Disney's "Alice in Wonderland," and a slew of horror movies that wanted to capitalize on the gimmick without putting in the extra effort. 

The 3D in these films are bad for two main reasons. If and when you are going to use 3D, you have to plan your shots differently. Applying 3D to already-filmed material rarely helps. You are forcing a square peg into a round hole, essentially. Movies like "Life of Pi" and "Hugo" are plotted and conceived to take advantage of the tricks 3D can offer a storyteller. Movies like "Texas Chainsaw 3D" are not. 

The other detriment to 3D in these instances is the absence of light in a 3D movie. 3D really needs brightness and saturation. Horror movies and period adventures (like an "Underworld" movie, or "I Frankenstein") immediately are behind the curve because their visual palettes are dark, which reduces the effectiveness of 3D behind the slightly shaded glasses. Daytime scenes in "Thor: The Dark World" or "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" help 3D action sequences pop. Nighttime fights in horror films often do not pop, and that's a problem.

texas chainsaw 3dWhat does it mean to shoot a movie in 3D as opposed to shooting in 2D and converting it? How big a difference does this make?

Some directors film using 3D, stereoscopic cameras, which create the two versions of the image needed to create the immersive effect on one's eye. James Cameron. Alfonso Cuaron. Martin Scorsese. They commit to 3D cameras (which are still a developing tool). It is the most natural way to capture imagery to be presented in 3D. But it's harder, because the industry is still experimenting with the tools, and costs are high. 

It is easier, but less effective, to shoot a film with traditional, 2D cameras, and "add" the 3D later, in post-production. But the mere act of "conversion" opens the door to possible problems. Higher frame rates on certain movies (the recent "Hobbit" films, for example) can create visual hiccups. Anytime images are converted in post-production, the slightest tinge can create lag, which tricks the eye. Manipulating ANY image leads to possible problems, so movies filmed in 2D and converted to 3D have to have near-perfection to be great ... and near-perfection rarely happens!  

How has 3D technology improved in the past few years and what do you expect going forward?

The more you do ANYTHING, the better you will get at it. The more time that storytellers have had to think about 3D, the better (and more innovative) their approach to the tool has become. We are seeing more movies — like "Hugo" and "Gravity" — that basically exist to take advantage of 3D. It is a big part of the storytelling process. That has been the biggest improvement. Movies that incorporate 3D from the beginning stages of the movie — not shoehorned onto the movie late in the game.

But wearing the glasses is still a pain. And so, going forward, I think we're going to get to a point where 3D will be possible without glasses. Spielberg is leading this charge, as well. The development of projectors that will present a 3D image without the need for glasses. It sounds like voodoo! But it's coming, and soon.

What are the biggest pitfalls of 3D in movies?

To me, the biggest pitfall when it comes to 3D is the cost of a ticket. Because 3D is basically applied to every animated movie, whether they need 3D or not, it  is becoming so much more expensive for a family to go see the latest Disney, Pixar, or DreamWorks movie. Of course, families CAN choose 2D versions of the same movies. But "How to Train Your Dragon 2" loses some of its appeal if not seen in 3D ... and that's a costly night at the movies for a family of four.

Where do you see the biggest potential for 3D in movies?

In the right hands, 3D can create imaginative worlds that audiences want to revisit time and time again. Truthfully, I prefer IMAX as a visual tool. But when used properly, by creative storytellers, 3D can immerse us in unexpected worlds, and there's potential for eye-popping, memorable sequences for years to come.

SEE ALSO: Here's the dirty little secret IMAX doesn't want you to know

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The First Photo Of Henry Cavill As The Man Of Steel In 'Batman V Superman' Looks Foreboding

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A few days after we got a look at Henry Cavill on set of "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice," Warner Bros. releases the first image of the actor dressed as the Man of Steel himself.

USA Today revealed the image first along with an interview from director Zack Snyder.

There's not much to see, but our hero certainly doesn't look happy. It actually looks like they plopped Cavill right into a Batman movie and he's waiting for a meeting with the Dark Knight.

Looking more closely, the Superman suit mostly looks the same if not a bit bluer. It also looks like slight changes were made to the belt.

Expect to hear more about "Batman V Superman" later this month from San Diego Comic Con.

The movie is in theaters May 6, 2016.

henry cavill superman

Here's how Superman's suit looked in "The Man of Steel":superman man of steel henry cavill

SEE ALSO: Here's the first photo of Cavill as Clark Kent on set of "Batman V Superman"

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Bryan Cranston Has A Brilliant Method For Deciding Which Roles He Takes

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bryan cranston tribeca film festivalBryan Cranston is undoubtedly one of the finest actors of our generation.

Now with three Emmys for the role of a lifetime in "Breaking Bad" and a recent Tony win for his Broadway appearance in "All the Way," how does the 58-year-old actor decide which role to take next?

Cranston recently revealed to GQ he undertakes a very methodical process to figure out his next role.  

For every part offered, he makes a chart referred to as Caps (Cranston Assessment Project Scale).

From GQ:

"... On the left he writes the offers in blue ballpoint. Along the top, five categories, listed in decreasing order of importance - Story, Script, Role, Director, Cast - each of which he gives a score to. There are bonus points (salary) and minus points (time away from family). And then he decides. Anything under 16, no way. Anything more than 25, you bet. Argo, directed by Ben Affleck, was a 28. Breaking Bad maxed it out. 'Every level was at the top. Easy decision.'"

Cranston, who recently appeared in summer hit "Godzilla," originally turned down the role as engineer Joe Brody because it didn't pass his "Caps" assessment. It received a 20 on the Cranston scale.

Eventually, his agent convinced him to take a second look at the script and after adding in more points for a "surprisingly good script," "Godzilla" became the first role Cranston accepted after finishing "Breaking Bad."

The entire piece is a must read for Cranston fans. It's extremely telling about the actor's childhood.

Read the entire article from the May issue of UK's GQ here.

SEE ALSO: Bryan Cranston is one step closer to receiving one of the most coveted awards ever

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Lindsay Lohan Is Suing 'GTA V' Makers Claiming The Game Stole Her Likeness — See For Yourself

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Lindsay Lohan has filed a lawsuit against the makers of the "Grand Theft Auto V" video game.

In the suit, Lohan claims that character Lacey Jonas is an “unequivocal” reference to the actress, depicting her image, voice, and styles from her clothing line. The game even shows the character avoiding paparazzi outside of the Chateau Marmont Hotel, where Lohan once lived.

When Lohan initially started to craft the lawsuit in December...Lindsay LohanMany assumed she was going to sue over this bikini model character who kind of resembles the actress.grand theft auto v lindsay lohan likenessWhile she may flash the peace sign like Lohan, model Shelby Welinder has confirmed (by posting her GTA V contract to Twitter) that the bikini image is based off of her.Lindsay Lohan peace signOther GTA V art work contains characters wearing Lohan-like accessories...grand theft auto v characterLike these aviator sunglasses.Lindsay Lohan Instagram selfieAnd a hat. Lindsay Lohan Instagram selfieIn the video game's poster art, a Lohan look-a-like is shown taking a sexy selfie.gta v coverLohan is queen of the selfie.Lindsay Lohan Instagram selfie

But the part Lohan has a real problem with is during a gameplay moment when the Lacey Jonas character hides from paparazzi and gets frustrated when someone doesn't recognize her to help her.

The character exclaims, "I'm really famous! I didn't do anything — this is my average commute ... I am so fat, oh my God, they cannot get a shot of me! How’s my hair? Do I look cute?"

Lohan's suit claims that Rockstar Games used her image for the in-game character of Lacey, "an anorexic actress constantly on the run from voracious celebrity photographers and fans," according to International Business Times.

Below is the specific character Lohan is suing over:lacey jonas grand theft auto 5 gta vlacey jonas gta v grand theft auto 5

Watch the gameplay moment in question below:

Take-Two Interactive Software and Rockstar Games have declined comment on the lawsuit, but Forbes "doubts the case has legs," considering "the character in question was not specifically Lohan, and engages in entirely fictional activities that are designed to parody a certain type of celebrity."

Forbes then cited the Digital Media Law Project to back up their stance:

“As a general matter, you will not be held liable for using someone’s name or likeness in a creative, entertaining, or artistic work that is transformative, meaning that you add some substantial creative element over and above the mere depiction of the person. In other words, the First Amendment ordinarily protects you if you use someone’s name or likeness to create something new that is recognizably your own, rather than something that just evokes and exploits the person’s identity.”

But this isn't the first time an actress has called out a video game for allegedly using her likeness. Last year, Ellen Page accused the makers of "The Last of Us" of using her likeness for a character named "Ellie."

Page later said on Reddit: "I guess I should be flattered that they ripped off my likeness, but I am actually acting in a video game called "Beyond Two Souls," so it was not appreciated."

SEE ALSO: Ellen Page Calls Out Video Game For Ripping Off Her Likeness

MORE: Someone Remade The 'Grand Theft Auto V' Trailer In Real Life, Scene By Scene

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25 Movies That Will Make You Proud To Be An American

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We understand that a list of the most American films could run 238 items long — the number of years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

It's an outlandish dream to narrow that list to 25, but hey, this is America. Dare to dream.

We rounded up the movies that will stir your nostalgia for the red-white-and-blue, and a few titles just for fun. (William Daniels, or "Mr. Feeny," sings in a musical about the writing of the Declaration of Independence. That happened.)

Movies are listed in order of release.

"Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942): George M. Cohan (James Cagney) finds his place in musical theater history, writing "Over There," "The Yankee Doodle Boy," and "You're A Grand Old Flag" over the course of his life.



"1776" (1972): Benjamin Franklin and John Adams (William Daniels) peer-pressure Thomas Jefferson — in song and dance — to write the Declaration of Independence days before the 4th.

Watch it here.



"All The President's Men" (1976): Reporters Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) investigate the Nixon administration's Watergate scandal for The Washington Post.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






Emerging TV Markets Are Going To Crush European TV Markets

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we get marriedThe rise of emerging markets is taking place in TV, too, with China set to pass the U.K. in 2014 and Germany in 2016 to become the second most valuable TV market behind the U.S.

Here's a chart showing the big winners and losers from a new PwC report on TV subscription and license fees:

emerging tv powersChina is also emerging as a dominant market for Hollywood, with the latest "Transformers" movie achieving a jaw-dropping $90 million Chinese opening weekend, just $10 million behind the U.S. box office. No wonder studios are packing movies with Chinese stars.

SEE ALSO: 4K TV really is the future

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Here's How Nintendo Plans To Fix The Wii U ‘Dry Spell’

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Though Nintendo capitalizes on nostalgia probably more so than any other gaming company, one thing it continually struggles with is turning out enough first-party games starring its iconic characters to keep fans sated throughout the year.

This was one of the key points of criticism brought up to Reggie Fils-Aime, the president of Nintendo of America, during his sit-down with IGN’s Jose Otero. During that interview, however, Fils-Aime said the company is working on multiple ways to alleviate the company’s “software droughts” between major first-party game releases.

“First, we’re doing much more second-party development,” Fils-Aime said. “Everything from ‘Bayonetta 2,’ which is an exclusive to Wii U game, ‘Devil’s Third’ is an exclusive to Wii U game... all of these key games coming in the near term. We think it’s this pace of product launch that we need to really drive momentum for Wii U.

Fils-Aime said Nintendo wanted to launch many of its key games, such as 'Pikmin 3' and 'Super Mario 3D World,' much earlier in the system's life to create "the momentum that we wanted." But with the recent release of 'Mario Kart 8' in late May and 'Super Smash Bros' for Wii U just on the horizon, Nintendo is finally reaching that desired "pace" Fils-Aime referred to.

Besides contracting third-party studios to directly work on various licenses owned by Nintendo, Fils-Aime said the company is also working much more with independent developers:

I would argue that this is a big industry shift that’s happened over the last couple of years. You look at all of the developers that have left the large major third-parties to create their own small studio. We’ve been able to attract them not only with some of the tools made available, like Unity. But also the fact that these developers love having their content merchandised in our eShop right alongside Mario and right alongside Zelda versus putting them in separate area with all other indie content. We merchandise it along with all of our other key games, which really helps sell through of this independent content.

Fils-Aime said Nintendo is also still working with third-parties like Ubisoft, Warner Bros., and a number of Japanese developers to build more Wii U titles. 

“For us, that’s how we have to mitigate this potential of longer wait times between product launch[es],” Fils-Aime said. 

Check out IGN for the full interview with Nintendo’s president of North America.

SEE ALSO: 10 Reasons To Buy A Wii U Right Now

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The Darkest Song From 'The Lion King' Was Based On A 1935 Nazi Propaganda Film

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Scar, smoke, lion king

This year marks the 20th anniversary of one of the most successful animated films ever made, Disney's "The Lion King."

When the film first debuted in 1994, the film's themes of death, betrayal, and rebirth made it a pretty adult Disney movie.

One of the film's most adult scenes is when the evil lion Scar sings about his plan to murder his brother and king of the pride, Mufasa, in the song, "Be Prepared."

Yet, what most people don't realize is that the film's animators based much of the scene on a 1935 Nazi propaganda film titled "Triumph of the Will" that documents 1934 Nazi Germany.

According to an Entertainment Weekly article back in 1994, the song "grew out of one sketch by story staffer Jorgen Klubien that pictured Scar as Hitler. The directors ran with the concept and worked up a 'Triumph of the Will'-style mock-Nuremberg rally."

For example, the goose-stepping soldiers in "Triumph of the Will" march in formation through Nazi Germany.

Triumph of the will, marchingDuring "Be Prepared," the hyenas that Scar wants to use in his plan to kill Mufasa are grouped in a similar formation, goose-stepping almost the same exact way.Lion King, scar, marchingScar is also elevated for the majority of the sequence, standing on a cliff over looking his army.

Lion King, Be PreparedThis is very similar to how Hitler is portrayed in much of "Triumph of the Will."

Triump of the Will, HitlerYou may have also noticed the beams of light that shoot out around Scar while he's singing in the cave.

Lion King Beams of lightThese lights resemble the "Cathedral of Light" that were featured in many Nazi rallies during the 1930s.

Cathedral of light, Nazi GermanyThe adult themes of the film like those in "Be Prepared" didn't keep families away though.

When "The Lion King" was released in 1994 it was a box-office smash grossing $987 million worldwide. This made it the highest-grossing animated film in history at the time. It has since been surpassed by "Shrek 2."

Watch the entire "Be Prepared" sequence below: 

SEE ALSO: Disney Has Been Hiding A Secret Message In Its Movies For Years

SEE ALSO: There Are A Ridiculous Amount Of Similarities Between ‘Frozen’ And ‘The Lion King’

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'Age Of Extinction' Was The Most Difficult 'Transformers' Movie To Make

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bumblebee transformers 4 age of extinction"Transformers: Age of Extinction" is a huge success at theaters making more than $300 million worldwide since its debut.

However, the film wouldn't be a reality without the visual effects team at Industrial Lights and Magic (ILM) who has been hard at work for about a year and half bringing the sequel to the big screen.

We recently spoke with ILM's visual effects supervisor Scott Farrar, who has overseen every single "Transformers" film to date. He tells Business Insider the fourth installment of the franchise was the most difficult film to work on yet with the crew working until nearly two weeks before the movie's release date to perfect the film. 

"This one was a lot harder," Farrar told Business Insider. "There were quite a number of new characters. Each and every one has a lot of new characters, but this one has new and more styles of characters just because of colors and construction. [There are] 10 new characters or so but what was hard about this one was that there were more shots than we’ve done before."

transformers age of extinction autobotsAn estimated 500 people worked on the film's visual effects which comprise about 90 minutes of the film's two-and-a-half hour runtime.

"Sometimes another company was involved to do some of the shots. That was not the case," said Farrar. "We did all the shots or were in control of them." 

For the fourth film, the ILM team had to work on more shots in less time. The addition of IMAX and 3D in the film also added to the film's complexity.

"The shots were very very dense," said Farrar. "It wasn’t just a character against a bad guy. In many cases it was two or three robots, all with speaking parts, in scenes where they might be inside the Night Ship and it’s not just a ship and the characters, it’s hundreds of layers of sparks and lighting effects and all these different things to give the space a reality."

"[With 3D] there's all this stuff where you’re rendering two eyes not just one," he added. "It’s not like a simple shape. A robot, you can see inside it - all the little parts - thousands of little things are moving and turning and I think that’s fun for the audience."

The most difficult process though is bringing the Transformers themselves to life which Farrar says could take up to 15 weeks to build.optimus prime transformers 4

"The initial problem with a Transformers character is that you always want them to move fast and as cool in spite of the fact that they’re very very heavy," says Farrar. 

"Optimus is supposed to be about 30,000 pounds, but if you have him lumbering around like a big, slow robot like you see in old movies it's not very interesting," he adds. "A big factor, especially with Michael Bay, is you got to make things look cool."

When coming up with ways to move the different Transformers there's thought put into individualizing each robot.transformers grimlock

"We try to come up with character differences. Inspite of Grimlock, the T-Rex, the spinosaurus looking different, you also want them to act different. Some of the animators think about that as they work out what their characters are," says Farrar. 

Despite the added labor of the latest installment, Farrar says communication with director Michael Bay was easier the fourth time around.michael bay transformers 4 set

"We did a live transmission almost daily, sometimes more than once with him," Farrar explained. "[Bay's] in his office down in Santa Monica. We're up here in San Francisco. We don't all have to be in the same room, but he can call us up and say 'Transmission in 10 minutes, okay?'  We go to our room and ... at any given moment we can pull up any shot that we're working on any piece of a shot, any part or artwork or anything and pull it up. We can look at it and talk about it. We both see it. We see him on camera, he sees us on camera, and we do this live feed every day. Without that, I don't know how we would get this movie done." 

"If I have anything that's a problem, I don't do email. I need to know the answer right now," Farrar added. "I'll pick up the phone, talk to him. He'll pick up the phone, talk to me. We don't have time for email."

More "Transformers": The most annoying thing about "Transformers" is Michael Bay's fixation on objectifying women

SEE ALSO: How much the Transformers cars in the new film cost

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Google Just Released A New Map Trivia Game And It's Really Fun

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Google has never been a tech company to rest their laurels. They're always pumping out quirky little projects that we can play with.

In this case, they've made a fun little trivia game that I could probably waste an entire weekend playing.

It's called "Smarty Pins," and works inside of Google Maps. The basic premise is that you answer a series of questions based on geography, dropping your pin on the location of your answer.

Smarty Pants Paul SimonEveryone starts with 1,000 miles. You drop your pin where you think the correct answer is. If you're wrong, Google calculates how far away your pin is from the correct answer and subtracts that from your 1,000 miles. You play until you run out.

Smarty Pants GracelandAs soon as you're asked a question, there is also a timer that starts counting down from 15. If you get the question right (Google will tell you that you "nailed it") then you get the number still showing on the timer.

Smarty Pants CategoriesYou can also choose what category you want to play in. Players have the choice of having Google randomly select a category each question, or you can choose from the very start if you want to answer questions about arts, entertainment, sports, etc.

It's actually slick, very well done, and an excellent time-waster. You can play and find out for yourself here.

SEE ALSO: Google Will Make Machines That 'Can Reason, Think, And Do Things Better Than We Can'

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Scary 16-Car Crash Delays Nascar Race

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Twenty laps into the Coke Zero 500 things got a little crazy and very dangerous.

A 16-car crash led to a huge pileup and some of the race's biggest names getting knocked out of contention.

NASCAR Crash3It started when Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. got loose ahead of the pack. Kevin Harvick told USA Today that he then "got squirrely." Jeff Gordon reportedly tried to avoid a crash and that started the huge wreck.

Along with Gordon, notable drivers Jimmie Johnson, Danica Patrick, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were all involved in the crash, according to People. And not all of them were able to continue (though Patrick and Earnhardt did).

NASCAR Crash2Aric Almirola ended up winning the race which was ultimately shortened by rain.

You can see the full crash on YouTube here:

SEE ALSO: The 49 Most Mesmerizing Photos From The World Cup So Far

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Two Young Actors Were Just Cast In 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

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crystal clarke pip andersen

Add another two cast members to "Star Wars: Episode VII."

StarWars.com announced two more people who will join the film Sunday.

American actress Crystal Clarke and British actor Pip Andersen will join the film in unspecified roles.

Clarke will appear in next year's "The Moon and the Sun" which will star Pierce Brosnan as King Louis XIV.

Andersen is a parkour artist who appeared in a recent ad for Spider-Man.

Last year, Lucasfilm and Disney held open casting calls for new young cast members in the U.K. and U.S.

In November, these were the roles being cast:

Rachel– was quite young when she lost her parents. With no other family, she was forced to make her way in a tough, dangerous town. Now 17, she has become street smart and strong. She is able to take care of herself using humor and guts to get by. Always a survivor, never a victim, she remains hopeful that she can move away from this harsh existence to a better life. She is always thinking of what she can do to move ahead. The suitable actress should be over the age of 16, according to the announcement, but look young enough to play a 17- or 18-year-old. She must be beautiful, smart and athletic. All ethnicities are welcome.

Thomas– has grown up without a father's influence. Without the model of being a man, he doesn't have the strongest sense of himself. Despite this, he is smart, capable and shows courage when it is needed. He can appreciate the absurdities in life and understands you can't take life too seriously." The actor for this role should be at least over the age of 18 and passable as someone between the ages of 19 and 23. He, too, must be handsome, smart and athletic.

The site also announced Episode VII will go on a two-week break from filming in August to accommodate Harrison Ford's recent set injury.

The actor reportedly broke his leg on set of the sequel.

"Star Wars: Episode VII" is still on track for a December 18, 2015 release.

SEE ALSO: Another "Star Wars" actor may be getting a larger role because of Harrison Ford's injury

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The First Footage From 'The Walking Dead' Season 5 Is Filled With Zombies

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AMC debuted the first footage from the next season of "The Walking Dead" Sunday night on a one-hour special of "The Talking Dead" teasing the show's return this fall.

There's not much to see, but we get our first look at Carol (Melissa McBride), Tyreese (Chad Coleman), and baby Judith fleeing from a horde of zombies.

Expect more later this month when the first trailer for season 5 will premiere July 25 at San Diego Comic Con.

SEE ALSO: The first photo from "The Walking Dead" season 5

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